:Languages of Montenegro
{{Short description|None}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Languages in Montenegro {{small|(2023 census)}}{{cite web|title=Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2023|url=https://monstat.org/uploads/files/popis%202021/saopstenja/SAOPSTENJE_Popis%20stanovnistva%202023%20II_cg.pdf|publisher=Monstat|access-date=15 October 2024}}
|label1 = Serbian
|value1 = 43.18
|color1 = Blue
|label2 = Montenegrin
|value2 = 34.52
|color2 = Red
|label3 = Bosnian
|value3 = 6.97
|color3 = Green
|label4 = Albanian
|value4 = 5.25
|color4 = Black
|label5 = Russian
|value5 = 2.36
|color5 = White
|label6 = Serbo-Croatian
|value6 = 2.08
|color6 = Gold
|label7 = Other
|value7 = 5.64
|color7 = Grey
}}
Languages of Montenegro are languages that are spoken in Montenegro. According to the Constitution of Montenegro that was adopted in 2007, Montenegro has only one official language, specified as Montenegrin, even though Serbian is used by 43% of the population and Montenegrin by 35% of population.{{cite web|title=Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2023|url=https://monstat.org/uploads/files/popis%202021/saopstenja/SAOPSTENJE_Popis%20stanovnistva%202023%20II_cg.pdf|publisher=Monstat|access-date=15 October 2024}} There is an ongoing debate about the distinct nature of Montenegrin language in relation to the Serbo-Croatian dialectal continuum.{{cite book | last=Arsenijevic | first=B. | title=Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics | chapter=Serbia and Montenegro: Language Situation | publisher=Elsevier | year=2006 | isbn=978-0-08-044854-1 | doi=10.1016/b0-08-044854-2/01823-x | page=255–256}}{{cite web | last=Browne | first=Wayles | title=Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian language | website=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=1998-07-20 | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian-language/Serbo-Croatian-in-the-20th-century-and-after | access-date=2024-10-18}} Montenegrin
can be written in both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets, but there is a growing political movement to use only the Latin alphabet.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ghfAEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT32|title=Introduction to Montenegro|first=Gilad James|last=PhD|publisher=Gilad James Mystery School|accessdate=17 December 2023|via=Google Books}}
Legally recognized minority languages are Albanian, Bosnian, and Croatian. As of 2017, Albanian is an official language of the municipalities of Podgorica, Ulcinj, Bar, Pljevlja, Rozaje and Tuzi.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocnal.com/2017/03/albanian-language-official-in-montenegro.html|title=Albanian language official in Montenegro|website=Oculus News|access-date=2019-09-23}}
Additionally, there are a few hundred Italians in Montenegro, concentrated in the Bay of Kotor (Cattaro).
Romani is a protected language.{{Cite web|url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-charter-regional-or-minority-languages/-/montenegro-a-need-to-improve-promotion-of-the-romani-language-among-other-findings-in-minority-language-report|title=Montenegro: A need to improve promotion of the Romani language, among other findings in minority language report - European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages - www.coe.int|website=European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|accessdate=17 December 2023}}
Minority languages of Montenegro
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages entered into force in Montenegro in June 2006, following the independence of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June 2006.{{cite web|url=https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=DC-PR074(2015)&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&Site=DC&BackColorInternet=F5CA75&BackColorIntranet=F5CA75&BackColorLogged=A9BACE|title=Minority languages in Montenegro: new evaluation report released|publisher=Council of Europe|access-date=26 June 2015}} The Constitution of Montenegro from 2007 states that Montenegrin is the official language of the country, while Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and Albanian are languages in official use.{{cite web|url=http://www.ecmi.de/fileadmin/downloads/publications/JEMIE/2012/Dzankic.pdf|title=Montenegro’s Minorities in the Tangles of Citizenship, Participation, and Access to Rights|publisher=Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe|format=PDF|access-date=26 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923233135/http://www.ecmi.de/fileadmin/downloads/publications/JEMIE/2012/Dzankic.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}} The Constitution states that languages in official use are those of groups that form at least 1% of the population of Montenegro, as per the 2003 population census. The Law on National Minorities specifies that the percentage of members of national minorities in total population of the local government should be 15% in order for their language and script to be introduced in official use.{{cite web|url=http://rae-portal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/manjine-u-crnogorskom-zakonodavstvu.pdf|title=Manjine u Crnoj Gori zakonodavstvo i praksa|publisher=Youth Initiative for Human Rights| format=PDF|access-date=26 June 2015}} Media founded by the Montenegro government are obliged to broadcast news, cultural, educational, sports and entertainment programs in minority languages. Minorities and their members have the right to education in their language in regular and vocational education.
==Dialects==
{{Main|Shtokavian dialects}}
| class="wikitable"
!| Map | Dialect | Notes |
| Rowspan=2| 200px
|{{colorbox|#ffffb3}} Eastern Herzegovinian |*Dialect spoken in the western and | ||
| {{colorbox|#ff0000}}{{colorbox|#ff8080}} Zeta–Raška
|*Dialect spoken in the eastern and |
See also
{{commons category|Languages of Montenegro}}